Scaring the Pants Off Jackson

Posted on Sat Oct 15th, 2011 @ 7:00pm by Commander Oralia Zeferino & Jackson Banning V

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Jackson's Office

Jackson looked in the mirror that hung on his office wall as he tied his bow tie, then adjusted his vest and jacket. Once that was done, he leaned closer, examining his nose with great care to make sure it was straight. Natalia was a hell of a surgeon but this was his nose after all.

From somewhere in the vicinity of the door of Jackson's office, a thought floated towards the bar owner, Li was here just now, wasn't she?

The sudden thought made Jackson jump and he bumped his forehead against the mirror. "Ouch! Dammit to hell! Yes she was. Eli is that you??"

Who is Eli? I seek Li, came the response. The thought had a strange, alien feel to it.

"Okay Eli, not funny. I know it's not Li, she's supposed to be seein' the Admiral." He turned, looking his office over now. The thoughts didn't have Eli's 'feel' to them.

As Jackson scanned the room, Iggy was slowly crawling up the far side of his desk, where he couldn't see her. With just her two front legs over the edge of the desk, she paused to breathe for a moment. With lungs freshly refilled, she completed her climb over the edge quickly and stopped in the middle of his desk, looking him over. Where is this Admiral?

At the sight of the massive spider, Jackson screamed and backed up against the wall. The scream quickly mutated into a string of very colorful curses.

"Stop talkin' to me!" And then it occurred to Jackson just what he'd said. The spider was...talking ...to him.

Will not stop. Not until you tell me where to find Li, Iggy moved closer to him and used one pedipalp to groom her fangs.

Great. The spider was on a first name basis with Li. It just figured, one spook could always relate to another. "Umm... and I can't believe I am actually havin' this conversation, but why do you need her?" Jackson had not, as yet, left the safety of the wall.

Oralia has no problem having conversation with me, Iggy said, petulantly, thinking it was patently obvious that the bipedal females' intelligence greatly outweighed that of the bipedal males'. Apparently, she'd need to spell it out for this one: Li is in danger and I must save her.

"In danger. From what? And Oralia's used to you. Not everyday I have some --"thing? one? "a visitor like you, unexpected."

The spider on Jackson's desk emitted a stridulatory hissing sound and advanced another few paces towards the male. Oralia likes that I can communicate with her. Since she ate her male companion, she has allowed me free reign in her burrow. There was a sense of pride behind the thoughts, but also a sense of frustration. The female Li is in danger from something you cannot understand.

"Since she....what?" Ate her male companion? Come to think of it, Jackson had not seen either one of them in two days...surely....He stopped and shook his head. What the hell was he thinking? It was the spider, had to be. Talking to her was making his brain go screwy. "I don't think she ate him. Li said he was in sickbay with her. And you'd be surprised what I could understand, try me." Oh boy, if anyone came in now, they'd be calling Robin to come and take him away sure as the world.

She should have eaten him. At least then, she would not be in such pain. Instead, she would be happily full. Iggy went still, all eight legs on the desk. It was a tarantula thing, to be able to stay so still for long periods of time. Without moving, she added, Li has something beyond your ken chasing her. It wishes her harm. I cannot allow it to harm her; she can talk to me even when Oralia cannot.

And if she ate him, she'd likely be in a psych ward right about now, he thought. Iggy's words prodded at him. "Wait. This have anything do do with her dreams?"

That is usually when she and I communicate. Lately, a male presence has been there, attempting harm, the spider answered his spoken words, understanding that his thought wasn't meant for her to answer.

"She said she'd been havin' dreams, and that yesterday when she was awake, she thought someone touched her but she was alone in her quarters. Somethin' odd happened with Norval too. Who is this male?"

Again, Iggy raked one leg against the other, creating a loud hiss. It was a sound of frustration and warning. It does not matter. You are delaying me and I have already come a very long distance. Where is Li?

"Look, I know you don't think too highly of me, obviously. But I need to know what male. It's important." Given her references to Connor as 'the male', Jackson had a sudden sinking feeling. "Say, you're a girl aren't you?"

My intelligence alone should tell you that, male. That and my spectacular size and beauty. Oralia gave me the name Iggy. The spider's thoughts held both pride and a slight tinge of embarrassment; she didn't really like her name, but it was better than none. Li has shouted the name 'Rhys' in her dreams. Now, where is she?

"Of course you're a girl, it just fuckin' figures. The story of my life," he muttered. Iggy's words jolted him back to reality. Rhys?? "Rhys? But he's dead. And Li went to see the Admiral."

All of Iggy's eight legs, in turn, lifted and returned to the desk's surface; each made a tiny clicking noise as it settled back down. The effect was rather like a human drumming her fingers. You told me that already. Where do I find this Admiral?

"Deck 6." It occurred to Jackson that he may have just gotten himself in trouble if the admiral caught sight of Iggy and found out he was the one who gave her directions.

What deck is this?

"275."

The spider went still and silent.

"What? We have turbolifts." Jackson eyed the arachnid. He was not going to take her to Ricky's office. He enjoyed living, thank you very much.

Hmm... I believe I encountered one of those. Moves very fast? She saw Jackson's head bob and her whole body mimicked the move. This, I can find. She turned away from him and, faster than his eye could follow, skittered to the door, which stubbornly stayed closed. The hazard of being little.

"Computer, open doors." There was an answering beep and the doors slid open.

Ah, if only I had a voice, Iggy mused as she headed out, moving frighteningly fast for a creature her size.

"Thank god for small favors, Iggy!" He called out. "No offense."

Moments later, the sound of heeled footsteps approached Jackson's door and a face peered in. Janice looked at Jackson and asked, "No offense? Who was just in here?"

Jackson sighed. "Just another female Janice. They can't stay away, apparently."

"They are just flies trapped in your web, dear," she smiled and disappeared back down the hallway.

Jackson rolled his eyes. "She would have to put it that way." Getting out of his office before anyone else came in, he followed Janice out into the club.

********

Jackson Banning V
Owner & Possessor Of The Parlour
The Nexus Club

Iggy
So not a Fly
Resident Bandersnatch

Janice Gree
Owner & One of The Flies
The Nexus Club